Feature Reprinted from the Palisadian-Post | By: Susan Howard, Special to the Holidays in the Palisades
Festive holiday party activities and tempting tasty morsels are right around the corner. What’s your plan to enjoy the season and beat the challenge of the holiday bulge? Use these simple strategies to fill your holiday cheer without the fear of gaining extra pounds.
Susan Howard with Group K Training clients, Palisadians Mary Blakely and Amy Banker, beat the holiday bulge with a new workout with friends.
1. Rise and Shine
Start your day off with a workout and a healthy breakfast. Your workout will jumpstart your metabolism, and a satisfying green drink with a scoop of protein will set the tone for the rest of the day.
2. Find a Sporty Workout Partner
It’s more fun and supportive to share your workout with a friend. Take turns planning your next adventure and create more excitement in your activities. Try a new group workout session, change your run to a new course or trail or play a sport with a friend to make you more accountable.
3. Catch a Minimum 15-Minute Challenge
Carve out 15 minutes a day to get resistance training and cardio per day. It might not be the full hour that your normally like to do, but just a short burst will be enough to burn off that extra holiday day drink or cookie.
4. Keep a Fitness Journal
Keeping track of your workouts and food intake throughout the holidays can give you the extra awareness you need to be more conscious of your decisions and help you make healthier ones. You can go old school and keep everything in a paper journal, go high-tech with easy-to-use apps on your phone or team up with a friend and send texts to each other daily.
5. Be Prepared for Action
Have your workout clothes prepared the night before and ready for action first thing in the morning. Pack your workout bag in your car so it is on hand for a pre-work workout, a lunch break fitness session or an after-work sweat. At least have a pair of shoes handy to squeeze in a quick walk around the block or bluffs.
6. Experiment with New Workouts with Friends
Make your holiday party an activity that burns calories rather than adding them. Organize a holiday hike, hire a trainer or try a new workout with friends. Challenge yourself and five friends to collectively burn 3,000 calories or more. Burn it up, reach your goal and celebrate with a refreshing smoothie or juice.
7. Practice Moderation Mantras
The first bite is always the best. Make sure to savor the flavor. Choose smaller portions and fewer holiday drinks. Remember, it’s much easier to burn 400 or 500 calories instead of 2,000 or 3,000. That’s one workout instead of a week’s worth.
Start your day with a healthy breakfast and set the tone for the rest of the day.
8. Log Slumber Time
It’s important to get enough sleep while the holiday cheer is in the air. Give yourself the time to get the sleep you need to help your body recover and refuel. Those restful hours will give you the energy to work out and also stop you from using treats as a power boost during the day.
9. Start Your Day with Warm Water and Lemon
Drinking this simple solution is proven to aid digestion, support immune function and detoxify the liver. All of these are very important benefits when handling all the demands of the holidays. In addition, stay hydrated throughout the day and don’t underestimate the benefit of a gallon of water a day. It will provide more energy, detoxify and give you a full feeling to curb your appetite.
10. Meditate to Handle Holiday Stress
The high demands of the holiday are taxing to the mind and body. Practice some positive affirmations, think happy and be happy. Take a moment to slow down, take a deep breath and clear your thoughts. Focus on the real gifts that you have in your life and cherish all that brings you joy and peace.
Susan Howard is a Partner and Director of Lifestyle Performance Training at Studio K in Pacific Palisades. Her philosophy of lifestyle performance training is to incorporate all of the functional movements in a creative, efficient program to help individuals train for life. Contact Studio K for more information regarding training and nutrition programs: (310) 454-1048 | susan@studioktraining.com